Variable condenser



May 20, 1930. M. H. BENNETT ET AL 1,759,564

VARIABLE CONDENSER Filed Sept. 11, 1925 uunlllllllm m l/E/VTORS M 44% 'M W A T TOR/VE Y Patented Ma, 20, 1930 UNITED .7 STATES .IMZORRIS E. BENNETT AND WILLIAM COLINA, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, 1A8- SIGNORS TO SCOVILL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WAT'ERBURY, CONNECTICUT,

A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT VARIABLE CONDENSER 1 Application filed a 11, 1925. Serial No. 55,656.

that those parts requiring adjustment may be quickly and accurately adjusted. A further object is to provide such a bearing for the rotor that the latter will turn smoothly and easily at any position of the rotor relative to the stator and yet will not be loose in its bearings.

For a full understanding of the invention a detailed description of a construction em-' bodying the same in its most advantageous form will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and the features forming the invention then will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a variable condenser embodying the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross section of the same with parts broken away;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section; and

Figure l is an end elevation.

Referring to said drawings, front side A and rear side Bare secured in spaced relation to each other by standards C, and, to t.-

tain the advantage of interchangeability,

these standards 0 will be similar in construction with fiat surfaces to provide a larger port insulating blocks D, D, hereinafter referred to, but the edges of standards C will hearing face and be better adapted to sup- 7 of rotor shaft F, may be positioned in said opening.

A plate E having an opening of such size that it closely fits over end f of shaft F, will cover any excess of opening a in side A and be secured in said side by screws, threaded into posts 9, hereinafter described. The plate E also constitutes a support for end 7 of shaft F. Plate E is so shaped that it does not project beyond the edges of side A. Side A will also be provided with a plurality of perforations to receive studs H, threaded to receive' screws for securing the condenser to the usual panel board to which such condensers are attached, either in veritcal or horizontal position. The rear ends ofthese studs will be turned down securely against side A.

Plate G is secured to the inner side of side A in any suitable manner, as by posts 9, the inner ends of which posts are turned down to take against plate G, their outer ends being secured by screws passing through such posts and also through cover plate E.

Plates G is also provided with a flanged opening of such size that it allows shaft F, with its sleeve J, after the plates K have been 'secured. thereon, to pass through, the flan e thereof conforming in shape and size substantially to that of the cone shaped end of sleeve J to form a cone type of bearing for said shaft and sleeve. The plateG is made of resilient material and is spaced by posts g from side A in order that it will act as a spring to press against the cone end of the rotor-plate-carrying sleeve J on shaft F, and thus cause said sleeve, and with it said shaft F, to be forced against rear bearing P,

thus preventing any play of the rotor and still allowlng the rotor to turn smoothly.

\ The surface of shaft F'is provided with knurled portions at suitable distances from either end so that when said shaft is forced into sleeve J, or vice versa, these two parts will be securely held from movement inde pendent of each other.

The sleeve J carried by rotor shaft F, which is of brass, though it may be made of any other suitable material, is provided with a set of plates K (10 being illustrated herein though [a greater or less number-gnay be shaft adapting it to receive the cone-shaped endof screw P passing through a threaded hole in side B, which screw will be held in position by lock-nut R, and said screw P will also be provided with a slot to permit adjustment of said shaft F'and sleeve J by means of a screw driver or other simple tool. Rear side B is provided with a binding post and binding screw of any suitable con. struction, that shown consisting of screw L passing through said side, having its slotted head on the inner side of side B to admit of adjustment. The yoke formed at one end of lead plat-e N, is held in position by the head of screw L, while the opposite end of said lead plate, being perforated, tal'ses oye'r the end of shaft F on the inner side of side A and thus presses against shaft F or its sleeve J, and will thus not only act as a' lead for one ot the condenser terminal contacts, but being of spring metal, will also provide additional aid in keeping shaft F in proper position in its bearings.

It may be of advantage to have the rotor plates K shaped substantially as shown, so

that they maybe entirely free of plates S,

when shaft F has revolved them to their zero capacityposition, (Fig; 3) which would be an advantage in the process of assembling and disassembling. V

It willbe of advantage also to have the rotor plates K provided with extensions X to act as'stops on striking post, C.

Stationary plates S (11 being shown herein, and, while the'number' may vary, there should be one more than the number of rotor plates K) are supported against movement toward or frdm each other, by having the extension of each plate positioned in slots U formed equidistant from, each other in blocks T,.T, hereinafter referred to, in which blocks the ends of each stator plate S will be soldered, swaged or otherwise suitably fixed.

which serve as adjustable supporting blocks to support the set of stator plates andpermit the adjustment of the set, as a unit, relative of the rotor-plates. These adjustable supporting blocks will advantageously be made of hard rubber because of the high insulating quality of that material, though any other suitable material may be used. These blocks are secured to the standards C by screws. Y, Y, and provided with protecting washers w, m, above and below said blocks. These blocks D, D. also for uniformity in structure, and in order that they may be interchangeable, are provided with screws V having their bases in blocks T, T', their free ends passing through blocks D, D, to receive binding nuts of usual construction for connection ofza circuit terminal, though but one such terminal is usually required. The slots d, d, in

said blocks D, D, through which screws Y,

Y pass, will be somewhat larger than necessary for the passage of such screws, in order to permit sufiicient movement of said blocks D, D, and with them theblocks T, T carried tiiereby, for adjusting the position of the st tionary plates S'secured in said blocks T, T relatively to the rotating plates K. It will be of advantage also to have the upper and lower edges of these blocks D, 'D located substantially in a'plane with the top and bottom, respectively, of the set of stator plates S, as such location will be more convenient, will minimize the movement necessary in adjusting the-blocks T, T and also the possibility of their displacement after adjustment. This adjustment will be accomplished by loosening one of the screws, Y, at the end of the block being adjusted, whereupon the loosened end of that block will be permitted to swing on the screw Y at the other end of K the same block as a pivot, thus allowing the upper ends of stator plates S and their carrying block T to be spaced equidistant from the adjacent rotary plates between them, and screw Y is then tightened. Screw Y of this same block will then be loosened to permit the block to swing on screw Y as a pivot and allow the lower ends of said stator plates and said block T to be similarly adjusted. The blocks D and T at the opposite end of the condenser may then be similarly adjusted, if

necessary. In such adjustment the screws Y, Y will be tightened securely to prevent any lateral shifting of the adjusted end of said blocks D, T, in which the stationary plates S are carried, as rigidity of such-plates is very important.

It is important also that the slots d. d be positioned as near the edges of blocks D, D, as practicable, so that the longitudinal axes of the screws Y, Y, will be substantially in line with the top and'bottom edges, respectively, of saidstator plates, and thus avoiding any movement of the adjusted end while the other end is being adjusted.

By the of plate adjusting means with the spring adjustment for the rotor shaft F and its adjustable bearings, a condenser of rigid construction, which is very important- I of small parts and the accuracy and rigidity required. Whena condenser is made in accordance with my invention, however, these disadvantages may -be largely overcome by having the parts first assembled into units and such units then assembled into the completed condenser.- v

Oneunit may advantageously consist of the frame comprising the sides A, B and connecting standards C, with shaft receiving opening, spring plate, lead, terminal contact, and studs; another unit may advantageously consist of the set of stator plates and their mounting blocks; another the rotating shaft with its rotor plates and supporting sleeve, and securing nut; and another the pair of insulating blocks with their slots, terminal contact, binding post and screws. f

While the rotor plates are illustrated herein as rotatable counter-clockwise for decrease of capacity, it is'to be understood that equally satisfactory results will be obtained when rotated clockwise for such decrease.

As the operation of the devicewill be fully understood from the foregoing, detailed de: scription thereof will not be necessary.

What we claim is: r j

1. A variable condenser comprising a frame, a rotor-shaft rotatably mounted in said frame, a set of rotor-plates carried by said rotor-shaft, a set of stator plates, a pair of adjustable supporting blocks connected to the set of stator plates, one at each end of said set, each supporting block being arranged for lateral and angular movement in contact with the frame and'having a slot near each end and screws passing through said slots and into the frame, the screws for one supporting block being in axial alignment with the corresponding opposite screws for the other supporting block, the

' axial lines through the corresponding oppotion of the rotor-shaft into which the latter may be inserted at an angle, the other side plate having bearing means for supporting the rotor-shaft, said stator plates being detachably secured to the frame, a spring plate arranged to be secured on the inside ofthe frame, said spring plate having an opening into which the conical bearing of the rotorshaft will fit, and means for securing the spring plate to the frame after the rotor shaft and plates have been assembled in the frame:

3. A variable condenser comprising a rotorshaft having a conical bearing, said shaft having a reduced portion extending beyond the conical bearing, aset of rotor-plates secured to the rotor-shaft, a plurality of stator plates secured together at each end to form a unit, a frame having side plates and connecting members, one of said side plates having an opening larger than the reduced portion of the rotor-shaft into which the latter may be inserted at an angle, the other side plate having bearing means for supporting the rotor-shaft, said'stator plates being detachably secured to the frame, a spring plate arranged to be secured on the inside of the frame, said spring plate having an opening into which the conical bearing of the rotorshaft will fit, an outer bearing plate provided with an opening in which the reduced portion of the rotor-shaft fits, and means for securing the spring plate and the outerbearing plate to the frame after the rotor-shaft and plates have been assembled in the frame.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

MORRIS H. BENNETT.

WILLIAM COLINA.

site screws passing close to the corresponding edges of the central stator plate.

2. A variable condenser comprising a rotorshafthaving aconical bearing, said shaft having a reduced portion extending beyond the conical bearing, a setof rotor-plates secured to the rotor-shaft, a plurality of stator plates secured together at each end to form a unit, a frame having side plates and connecting members, ,one of said side'plates having an opening larger than the reduced'por- 

